DEL MAR, Calif. – Favorites are not safe in the Grade 2 San Diego Handicap, but here comes Nysos on Saturday at Del Mar.
Fresh off a 108 Beyer Speed Figure romp at seven furlongs, Nysos figures to be heavily favored stretching to 1 1/16 miles in the San Diego, race 8 on a card that includes the Grade 1 Bing Crosby Stakes for sprinters, race 10.
Trainer Bob Baffert said distance “shouldn’t be an issue” for Nysos. In fact, the way Nysos runs and trains, combined with his mellow personality, suggests the 4-year-old could be anything.
Nysos, 4 of 5, won his only route and has trained super for his first start since crushing the Grade 3 Triple Bend two months ago at Santa Anita. Last weekend at Del Mar, Nysos worked a blazing five furlongs under Drayden Van Dyke, who said the colt was twitching his ears back and forth even while he smoked 58 seconds. It was the fastest five-furlong work of the day.
Baffert was only joking after Nysos worked when he said, “I’m not even going to run him. I just enjoy watching him train.”
Nysos will run Saturday, facing six rivals including 8-year-old veteran Express Train, the 2021 San Diego winner; Hall of Fame, a Grade 3 winner making his California debut; and Mirahmadi, the second Baffert starter and potential pacesetter. Midnight Mammoth, Tarantino, and Judge Miller also are entered in the San Diego, the local prep for the Pacific Classic on Aug. 30.
Explosive victories by Nysos early in his career made him a candidate for the 2024 spring classics, but he disappeared for more than a year after winning the Grade 3 Robert B. Lewis Stakes in winter at Santa Anita. Even as a 2- and 3-year-old, Nysos was laid back.
“He still is,” Baffert said last week at his Del Mar stable. “He’s just cool. He’s very cool, nothing upsets him. He’s just a very quiet horse. He walks up there like no big deal.”
With a clean trip under Flavien Prat, Nysos should win the San Diego, one of few races that have stymied Baffert. He is 2 for 37 in the San Diego; 1 for 11 with favorites. Baffert won the race with Maximum Security in 2020 and Fed Biz in 2014. His misses in the San Diego include six who lost at odds-on – Arabian Knight, Defunded, Arrogate, Paynter, Congaree, and Silver Charm.
Nysos is poised for a big summer and likely odds-on to win the San Diego.
“He’s older now, he’s filled out, he’s got a great mind,” Baffert said.
A top performance would make Nysos one of the favorites for the Pacific Classic. For Baffert, it’s one race at a time.
“I think we’ll know how he comes out of it, what he does next,” he said.
Baffert also entered Mirahmadi, a front-runner who is 3 for 5 since stretching out. His two route losses were graded stakes.
“He needs the lead,” Baffert said. “One of these days, his number’s going to come up” in a stakes.
It will be tough Saturday, because Mirahmadi and jockey Juan Hernandez face pace rivals Nysos, Midnight Mammoth, and Tarantino.
The oldest horse in the field is Express Train, an 8-year-old making his first start since finishing second in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap five months ago. John Shirreffs trains Tarantino, who he expects will fire first start back.
“Express Train’s always on a little bit of a bell curve,” Shirreffs said. “Well, right now he’s getting to the top of the bell.”
Hector Berrios rides Express Train, a Grade 1 winner in 2022.
Tarantino was compromised by passive strategy last out. Breaking from the rail, he was passively ridden, covered up, and finished fourth.
“He doesn’t want to be covered up,” trainer Peter Eurton said. Tarantino drew post 6 of 7 Saturday and likely to be forwardly placed while reunited with jockey Edwin Maldonado.
Hall of Fame is now trained by Michael McCarthy after Claiborne purchased the colt from Coolmore. He won the Grade 3 Mineshaft in winter at Fair Grounds for former trainer Steve Asmussen. Judge Miller misfired last out at Churchill Downs, while possibly not caring for the track. He placed in Grade 2 and Grade 3 races last spring.
Midnight Mammoth, runner-up last out in the Grade 2 Hollywood Gold Cup, is in the San Diego mainly because Del Mar discontinued the Cougar II at 1 1/2 miles. Midnight Mammoth won the 2024 Cougar II by more than 10 lengths.
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